Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil Recipe

This Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil is the best salmon recipe to make for busy weeknights. The sauce is absolutely delicious. It’s made with melted butter, minced garlic, herbs, and lemon slices. I’m sure that you’ll love this baked salmon in foil with this amazing butter sauce.

This salmon recipe is also a great dinner option if you need to make something very quick because it’s baked in less than 30 minutes. On top of that, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry to make this baked salmon in foil recipe.

The longest thing you need to do is to melt the butter, mince the garlic, and squeeze the lemon juice. Then, whisk everything together, and pour the butter sauce over the salmon.

Season it with salt, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then, fold the sides of the foil over the salmon and bake it (don’t forget to preheat the oven!) for about 20 minutes or so. Done! In a few minutes, you have this delicious baked salmon in foil recipe to serve for dinner.

This recipe was first published in March 2017. I updated this post in June 2018 with new pictures and content.

Which type of salmon is best for you?

Farmed salmon is raised in fish farms, also known as aquacultures. On the other hand, wild salmon is raised in its natural habitat, such as rivers and oceans. Also, the diets are different: wild salmon eats organisms found in its natural environment and farmed salmon eats processed feed.

The wild salmon color will be more intense and vibrant than farmed salmon, too.

But it is important to keep in mind that farmed salmon is still very healthy. It’s also a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D. However, wild salmon packs more nutritional benefit per ounce.

Is fresh salmon better than frozen in this recipe?

You can make this salmon recipe with either fresh or frozen salmon. I normally use a fresh salmon fillet because I find it easily at my local grocery store.

Seafood has a very fast freezing process. You can cook frozen salmon in a pan, in the oven, and on the grill. Remember to pull the frozen fillet from the freezer in the morning and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll be perfect to make this salmon recipe at dinnertime.

Can I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil to make this salmon recipe?

Yes and no. Let me explain. For this salmon recipe, we’ll steam the salmon fillet, and then we’re going to broil it.

If you want to skip the broiler step, you can use parchment paper. Just remove the salmon from the oven and make sure it reaches the internal temperature of 145ºF. Please, remember to always insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the salmon.

If you prefer to bake and broil the salmon, you need to use aluminum foil. Foil is more resistant to high temperatures.

The steaming step is great to keep the salmon moist and flavourful. That’s why this is the most important step. And, the broiling step gives this salmon recipe a crisp and caramelized crust. Yum!

Can I use clarified butter (ghee) to make this baked salmon in foil?

Before answering this question, let me explain what ghee is. It’s a kind of clarified butter that is made by melting regular butter over a medium-high temperature.

The butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids. When the milk solids are removed, you have your clarified butter. Because the milk solids are removed, ghee contains less lactose than regular butter. Besides that, ghee has a high smoke point, which is great for cooking. It’s also great for whole30 and paleo.

It’s easy to make homemade ghee (watch this great tutorial on how to make it). But I normally buy ghee online at Amazon since it’s more convenient.

See this list of ghees to buy. And yes, you totally can use ghee to make this recipe, although regular butter is also delicious in this recipe. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.

What is the best seasoning for salmon?

I used to say that salmon goes really well with almost any spice you would like to use.

How long do you cook salmon in the oven at 375ºF?

It depends on the size and thickness of your salmon fillet. If your fillet is very thick, I would say about 15 minutes in the oven at 375ºF. But if it is a normal size, I would say about 12-13 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

If you like this Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipe updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.

Found this while looking for a summer fish recipe – delicious! And really is very simple and easy! I served it with brown rice and a corn, tomato, and avocado salad. Think leftovers will be amazing in tacos for tomorrow, too!

We loved this, A favorite version of salmon now . So easy with such a few ingredients too and it has perfect flavor. I even used 1 tab Brummel and Brown yogurt spread and had fresh herbs in garden added at end. I had very thin salmon so only took about 5 minutes or so till done. Will repeat often. Thank you!

This is a keeper! So easy and the results were that of a five-star restaurant. The salmon was very moist and the brilliant addition of the broiling at the end made it look just as good as it tasted.thank you for sharing!

Just made it for an early dinner while I’m home alone this afternoon, and it was INCREDIBLE! LOVE LOVE LOVED this recipe! I’ll definitely be making it again when I’m cooking for others, because I just ate an enormous piece of salmon all by myself… no leftovers here!

Must say, this recipe was delicious the first time I made it! I did add some Dill weed to it this time and u can still taste the original recipe very well. The only thing different I tried was letting it marinade n the butter n garlic and other ingredients for more intense flavor! Thanks!!! Can’t wait to try others recipes u post!!